DJ Premier Releases Tribute Mix

The last week or so has been pretty hot, in terms of the Guru v Solar controversy. What’s certain is that a statement has been released to the media by Solar which he has stated is comprised of Guru’s last words. In the letter, Guru distances himself from Premier, his partner in GangStarr, citing a 7-year beef. He goes on to threaten legal action against Premier, should he become a part of any “tributes”. Solar, Guru’s close friend, has since gone on MTV to defend the letter after it faced criticism and doubts on the internet as to its legitimacy; basically, Guru was in a coma for the last month or so of his life, after going in to cardiac arrest last month, and it has been suggested that he couldn’t have written it. Solar retorts that the letter was written some months ago, in anticipation of his death.

Regardless of what’s up with the letter, real Gang Starr fans like myself will remember Guru as an incredibly talented emcee who defined the genre for a generation of rappers and deejays. Tracks like The Militia, and Work pt. II were anthems of my early teenage years, and are the legacy of Guru that I’ll hold on to.